Council To Consider Third Contract Extension

To be or not to be.That is the question to be answered Thursday night by the Payson Town Council regarding Barry Cardinael's continued employment as the town's rodeo relocation coordinator.

Cardinael's latest contract with the town ended Jan. 8, but town leaders are proposing two different measures that would keep him on board a little longer.

In July of 1998, Cardinael was hired by the council to raise money and coordinate volunteers to relocate the rodeo arena from Rumsey Park to a 36-acre site on the south edge of town. Since then, his contract has been extended twice.

The two proposals before the council this week could extend that contract another five months, or another five weeks, depending on which proposal wins out.

The first request, which was submitted by Councilmember Jim Spencer, would give Cardinael another five months to oversee the final stages of the arena relocation. In his memo to fellow councilmembers, Spencer suggests keeping Cardinael under contract until May 31, at a cost of $1,000 a week, or a total of $20,500. He suggests paying that fee out of the council contingency fund.

The second proposal, filed by Town Engineer LaRon Garrett, suggests keeping Cardinael on through the completion of the arena entrance, which is expected to take another four or five weeks. Garrett proposes paying Cardinael a lump sum of $4,000.

"The reason I had that put on the agenda was to just get it out there," Spencer said Monday. "My objective is to make sure (the rodeo grounds) is ready for the spring rodeo. If (Garrett) has new information, then we'll listen to it. I want to hear what everyone has to say."

In Garrett's request before the council, he said that the remainder of the project -- a laundry list of tasks that must be completed before the May rodeo -- can be successfully completed by town staff. Garrett also suggests that the $20,500 that would be spent on the relocation coordinator's fee could be better spent on improvements for the rodeo, such as adding new bleachers.

"We now have 1,600 seats and the old arena had about 3,000," Garrett said in his request.

Town Manager Rich Underkofler said he expects the council to adjourn into executive session to discuss both requests with the town attorney.

"(The public) won't get to hear all of the legal advice," Underkofler said, but, he added, the public will get a chance to weigh in on the topic. "I know this has created a lot of community controversy."

Moveable car lots

Another item that town leaders expect to draw fire on is an ordinance pertaining to the sale of privately owned vehicles along public roadways.

In a meeting last month when the item was first discussed, councilmembers gave their opinions of such private sales, prompting councilmember Jack Monschein to predict that if something isn't done soon, Payson residents will soon see such sales in every parking lot along highways 260 and 87.

In the new ordinance, the town would restrict such sales on any private or vacant lot unless the property owner grants permission. The seller would further be restricted to displaying no more than four cars per year.

The council is expected to take action at this second hearing of the ordinance.

Peace and quiet

Town hall has been taking heat from local truckers for an ordinance first discussed at last month's meeting. That ordinance would ban the common practice of engine braking, or "jake braking," within town limits. That practice creates an unnecessary amount of noise along town streets, proponents said.

"Truckers are raising hell about this," Underkofler said. "They say they need to use their engines to brake for safety reasons."

If approved, the ordinance would make it unlawful for any truck driver to use any "mechanical exhaust device designed to aid in the braking or deceleration of any vehicle which results in excessive noise, unusual, or explosive noise from such vehicles."

More fields

If a request filed by councilmembers Spencer, Jack Monschein and Ken Murphy is approved, the town's parks and recreation department will soon see some relief in its struggle to provide adequate field space for youth and adult teams.

The councilmembers are proposing that two practice fields be built on the soon-to-be-vacant rodeo grounds at Rumsey Park.

In addition to the two practice fields, town staff also is seeking approval to buy lights for two north Rumsey ball fields.

The Payson Town Council meets for a 5 p.m. workstudy Thursday at Payson Town Hall to discuss and devise the town's strategic plan for the 2000-01 fiscal year. The regular council meeting will follow at 6 p.m. in its chambers at 303 N. Beeline Highway.